Vacuum holder



Jun 27, 1967 G. D. MILLER VACUUM HOLDER Filed Dec. 10, 1954 INVENTOR.

' 0602176 0 Miller AUQANEY.

United States Patent 3,328,022 VACUUM HOLDER George D. Miller, Troy,Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Colight Inc., Minneapolis,Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Dec. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 417,356

6 Claims. (Cl. 269-21) This invention relates in general to sheet orfilm holding devices and more particularly to improvements in a holdingdevice which utilizes a vacuum source as the means for holding a sheetor the like in a fiat plane for photographic or other purposes.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum typesheet or film holding device which is extremely simple and economical tomanufacture and which will accommodate sheets or films of differentsizes.

Another object is to provide a vacuum type sheet holder capable ofholding a sheet or the like in a perfectly flat plane.

Another object is to reduce the amount of vacuum required to hold sheetsor the like in a fiat plane.

Another object is to provide a vacuum type sheet holder which is readilyand easily adjustable to accommodate sheets of different sizes.

A further object is to provide a vacuum type sheet holder which isquickly operable to hold a sheet in place.

The present invention accomplishes the above objects by mounting aforaminous member, preferably a woven mesh screen member, over a seriesof nested Wall sections upstanding from a base and slideably positioninga vacuum tube in aligned openings in the wall sections to apply vacuumto one or more vacuum compartments formed by such wall sections so as tolimit the application of vacuum to those compartments over which a sheetis mounted.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention areaccomplished will be readily understood on reference to the followingspecification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the improved film holding device with partsbroken away to illustrate its construction.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmental side elevation view, partly in section,and taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

In reference to the drawing, the sheet holding device, indicatedgenerally by the numeral 10, comprises a base member 11 which isrectangular in shape and is preferably formed of an aluminum casting.Formed integrally with the base member 11 are a plurality of nestedupstanding wall sections 12 which together define nested compartments13. The upper edges of the wall sections are machined to present aperfectly level surface to receive a woven mesh screen type sheetsupport member 14. Such construction presents a rigid body which resistswarping during assembly of the device or during handling.

The support member 14, which is similar to window screen material, isprestretched over a suitable frame (not shown) and is then stretchedover the upper edges of the wall sections 12 and is firmly attachedabout the perimeter of the base 11 to the upper surfaces of adjustabletension frame members 15. For this purpose, each edge of the member 14is clamped between a respective frame member 15 and a clamp strip 19 byscrews 29. This results in a precisely flat sheet supporting surface.

Screw threaded into each frame member 15 are a plurality of adjustingbolts 16. These bolts pass through projecting bosses 17 all of which areintegrally formed on the perimeter of the frame 11 below the framemembers 15. When adjustment of the member 14 is deemed 3,328,022Patented June 27, 1967 "ice necessary to maintain the same in a taut ordrum-like condition, the bolts 16 are advanced to draw frame members 15downwardly thereby applying an even tensioning force to the member 14 topresent a fiat sheet supporting surface.

The material of member 14 is preferably of such mesh and Wire size as toproperly support a sheet or film in a fiat plane against atmosphericpressure upon partial evacuation of air from therebelow.

Because of the relatively large overall open area presented by a wovenor mesh type screen material, in comparison with that presented by asheet in which holes are drilled or otherwise formed, a relatively lowervacuum force need be applied to adequately hold the sheet material inplace. Also, such mesh type screen material is far less expensive thansheets in which holes are formed. Further, since such screen materialpresents a series of round wires forming the openings and since the openarea is greater than the closed area, there is little tendency for suchopenings to clog with accumulated dust or dirt partcles. On the otherhand, in prior art supports formed of sheet material in which smallholes are drilled, dust particles tend to collect in the holes over aperiod of time thus reducing the size of such openings and theeffectiveness of the vacuum applied therethrough.

A tube 21 of generally rectangular cross section is slideably mounted ina series of aligned openings 22 in the various wall sections 12. Theseopenings 22 are lined with sealing grommets 23 of felt or the like whichserve as bearing surfaces for the tube 21 and also serve to suitablyseal the various compartments 13 from one another. Secured to the outerend of the tube 2.1 is a rubber hose 24 which is attached to a suitablesource of vacuum (not shown).

During operation, when it is desired to support a sheet or film 25(dotted lines, FIG. 2) having an area roughly equal to the smallercompartment 13a, the tube 21 is slid inward to its position illustratedin FIG. 1. Thus, when vacuum is applied it will be restricted tocompartment 13a and this will serve to hold the film or sheet 25perfectly fiat against the screen 14. If a larger film or sheet is to besupported such as one approximating the size of the wall section 131,the'tube is slid outward until it resumes its dotted line position 21,FIG. 1, wherein it terminates adjacent the opening formed in such wallsection 131, thus applying vacuum to the four compartments 13a through13d to hold the film thereabove flat against the support member 14 asmentioned above.

Because of the relatively small amount of vacuum necessary to properlyhold a sheet in position, adequate holding will be effected in thecorners and throughout the area of such sheet.

Also, it will be noted that the tube 21 may be readily and quicklyadjusted lengthwise to apply vacuum to the desired number ofcompartments depending upon the size of the sheet to be supported.

Although the invention has been described in detail and certain specificterms and languages have been used, it is to be understood that thepresent disclosure is illustrative rather than restrictive and thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from the spiritor scope of the invention as set forth in the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be secured byUnited States Letters Patent is:

1. A vacuum holder for sheets or the like,

comprising a base having nested wall sections upstanding therefrom toform a plurality of vacuum c0mpartments,

a foraminous support member extending over said wall sections,

said Wall sections having aligned openings therein,

and a tube adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum,

said tube being slideable endwise through said openings whereby to applyvacuum to one or more of said compartments.

2. A vacuum holder for sheets or the like,

comprising a base having nested wall sections upstanding therefrom toform a plurality of vacuum compartments,

a foraminous support member extending over said wall sections,

said wall sections having aligned openings therein,

a tube adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum,

said tube being slideable endwise through said openings whereby to applyvacuum to one or more of said compartments, and

sealing means surrounding said openings to form sliding seals betweensaid wall sections and said tube.

3. A vacuum holder for sheets or the like,

comprising a base having nested wall sections upstanding therefrom toform a plurality of vacuum compartments,

a flexible support member of Woven mesh material extending over saidwall sections,

a frame tensioning member slideable over an outer one of said wallsections,

means attaching said support member to said tensioning member,

means for adjusting said tensioning member along said outer wall sectionwhereby to stretch said support member over said wall sections,

and means for selectively applying vacuum to one or more of saidcompartments.

4. A vacuum holder for sheets or the like,

comprising a base having nested wall sections upstanding therefrom toform a plurality of vacuum com- 'partments,

a flexible foraminous support member extending over said wall sections,

tensioning means slideable over an outer one of said wall sections,

means attaching said support member to said tensioning means about theperiphery of said outer wall section,

means for moving said tensioning means along said outer wall section andtoward said base whereby to maintain said support member taut in alldirections in the plane of that portion thereof extending over saidnested Wall sections,

and means for selectively applying vacuum to one or more of saidcompartments.

5. A vacuum holder for sheets or the like,

comprising a base having nested wall sections upstanding therefrom toform a plurality of vacuum compartments,

a flexible foraminous support member extending over said wall sections,

said wall sections having aligned openings therein,

a vacuum tube adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum,

said tube being slideable endwise through said openings whereby to applyvacuum to one or more of said compartments,

frame means encompassing the outer one of said wall sections andslideable therealong,

means attaching said support member to said frame means around theperiphery of said outer wall section, and

means for moving said frame means toward said base whereby to maintainsaid support member taut in all directions in the plane of that portionthereof which extends over said wall sections.

6. A vacuuum holder for sheets or the like,

comprising a fiat base having a plurality of nested wall sectionsupstanding therefrom to form a plurality of nested vacuum compartments,

a flexible Woven mesh screen member extending over said wall sections,

said wall sections having aligned openings therein,

a tube adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum,

said tube being slideable endwise through said openings whereby to applyvacuum to one or more of said compartments,

tensioning members independently movable along the outer one of saidwall sections,

means attaching said screen member to said tensioning members, and

means for moving said tensioning members toward said base whereby tomaintain said screen member taut in all directions in the plane of thatportion thereof which extends over said wall sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,814,233 12/1957 Anander 248-363RICHARD H. EANES, JR., Primary Examiner.

1. A VACUUM HOLDER FOR SHEETS OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING A BASE HAVINGNESTED WALL SECTIONS UPSTANDING THEREFROM TO FORM A PLURALITY OF VACUUMCOMPARTMENTS, A FORAMINOUS SUPPORT MEMBER EXTENDING OVER SAID WALLSECTIONS, SAID WALL SECTIONS HAVING ALIGNED OPENINGS THEREIN, AND A TUBEADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF VACUUM, SAID TUBE BEING SLIDEABLEENDWISE THROUGH SAID OPENINGS WHEREBY TO APPLY VACUUM TO ONE OR MORE OFSAID COMPARTMENTS.